Young centre Luke Godwin and prop Salesi Ma'afu are set to return for Western Force when they take on Super Rugby ladder leaders ACT Brumbies in Canberra tomorrow.
Godwin, who was rested in the 22-16 loss to the Hurricanes after playing the previous eight games, is likely to come up against Christian Lealiifano.
Lealiifano, in his sixth season, will be out to prove to Wallabies coach Robbie Deans that, like Godwin, he can be a ball player from the centres ahead of the British Lions tour.
Godwin, 21, has attracted the interest of Deans, who said he had made "good strides" this season.
Ma'afu joined his teammates in Sydney before they travelled to Canberra yesterday.
He missed the Hurricanes clash with knee inflammation.
Scrum-half Ian Prior, who will move from the Brumbies to the Force next year, has been named on the bench to face his new club.
Brumbies coach Jake White said he expected a tough battle.
"As always with local derbies, we expect Saturday's match to be full of feeling and a tough contest right to the final siren," White said.
"The Force has a strong record against us here in Canberra. They almost got us here in round one last year and in 2011 they had a big come-from-behind win.
"They are a good team who have had some big wins over the last couple of weeks. It takes plenty of guts to overcome the Crusaders and the Reds, and we will need to be at the top of our game to get a win."
White has made one change to the starting line-up from the side that drew 19-all with Queensland Reds, Scott Sio coming in at loosehead prop.
Ben Alexander moves across the scrum to tighthead.
He has limited his player rotation. Wallabies inside centre Pat McCabe has not been recalled to the starting line-up, with fly-half Matt Toomua recovering from the concussion he suffered against the Reds.
White said he was happy with the combination of Toomua and Lealiifano.
"It's making sure that you're picking the team best equipped for the game. The guys are playing well in those positions," he said.
"As much as we have Patty pushing the door down as a Wallaby and wanting to play in the team, I think he'd appreciate, like all the players here do, that whoever is in has got to get the backing of the team.
"Scotty (Sio) has played really well when he has got some starts and it's a good week for him to get a crack.
"He has come along nicely this year and looks at home in the starting line-up."
Force coach Michael Foley will name his side today.
- Brumbies *: Scott Sio, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, Peter Kimlin, Sam Carter, Ben Mowen, George Smith, Fotu Auelua, Nic White, Matt Toomua, Joseph Tomane, Christian Lealiifano, Tevita Kuridrani, Henry Speight, Jesse Mogg. *Reserves *: Siliva Siliva, Ruaidhri Murphy, Leon Power, Colby Faingaa, Ian Prior, Pat McCabe, Robbie Coleman.
Nick Taylor The West Australian
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...urn-for-force/
Surely these guys could check their facts!????!!! Same with Shaun McManus on Nova this morning! Seriously what hope has Rugby got here in Perth/
